The Groove

The greatest jazz artists of all time

34 artists ranked by the Groove — music.nw’s own measure of renown. Not an opinion, a fact computed from the record. Why?

No. 1

Miles Davis

United States of America · 1926–1991 · jazz

172.160

Why this number?

The full board · page 2

25 Cannonball Adderley

United States of America · 1928–1975 · jazz 4.600

26 Grover Washington, Jr.

United States of America · 1943–1999 · jazz 4.600

27 Angelo Badalamenti

United States of America · 1937–2022 · jazz 4.500

28 Michael Bublé

Canada · 1975– · jazz 4.400

29 Lyle Mays

United States of America · 1953–2020 · contemporary jazz 4.200

30 Pat Metheny

United States of America · 1954– · contemporary jazz 4.200

31 Katie Melua

United Kingdom · 1984– · jazz 3.700

32 Ella Fitzgerald

United States of America · 1917–1996 · jazz 3.600

33 Louis Armstrong

United States of America · 1901–1971 · jazz 3.600

34 Naked City

United States of America · 1988–1993 · free jazz 3.400